Petition to expand medical marijuana bill delivered to Gov. Deal
ATLANTA - A crowd supporting a bill aimed at legalizing the growth and production of medical marijuana in Georgia met at the state capitol on Tuesday.
The group backing HB 722 also delivered a petition of more than 12,000 signatures to Gov. Nathan Deal's office.
Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, is the main sponsor of the bill, which is considered an expansion of the medical cannabis law that legislators passed last year.
The current law formed a state registry that allows patients with eight specific conditions to possess and use medical cannabis oil.
However, it's against the law to grow marijuana in the state, and federal law prohibits people from transporting the substance across state lines.
HB 722 faces its share of hurdles and opponents. Deal, among others, has publicly expressed concerns about allowing marijuana to be grown in the state.